Mineral Resources (MinRes) has unveiled a prototype of the resort-style accommodation that will set a new standard for the fly-in, fly-out lifestyle in the mining industry.
The rooms demonstrate what employees can expect at our Onslow Iron project currently under development in the Ashburton region of the Pilbara.
MinRes has ordered 750 locally fabricated rooms, with each spanning 45 square metres of living space, three times larger than traditional FIFO accommodation.
The apartment-like rooms feature a queen size bed, separate ensuite, kitchenette, lounge and laundry with washer and dryer – meaning there’s no need for a communal laundry.
There’s also a big screen television with video call function to stay in touch with family and friends, plus every room will have a balcony with electric barbecue.
The rooms have been designed to be suitable for singles or couples, with the aim of encouraging a more diverse workforce at Australia’s newest iron ore project.
Each pair of rooms, known as a “pod”, will be linked by walkways and configured like a resort, with shared gathering spaces and barbecue areas.
MinRes Chief People and Shared Services Officer Bronwyn Grieve said: “We want to redefine what it means to be a FIFO worker by creating a home-away-home and a genuine community environment for our people.
“To do that, we must have high-quality, comfortable and secure accommodation. That’s exactly what these pods will deliver, they are a game-changer.
“We’ve received enormously positive feedback from our workforce about the prototype pod and a huge amount of interest about jobs on Onslow Iron.”
Construction recently started at the 500-room Ken’s Bore Resort and will continue in the second half of the year at the 250-room Onslow Resort, subject to satisfying conditions.
Amenities include an Olympic-size swimming pool, indoor fitness centre and gym, café serving barista-made coffee and a recreation building with cinema and golf simulators.
There will also be multi-purpose sports courts, a mini golf course, fitness park with outdoor gym facilities and a wellness loop with running track, while the restaurant will serve an al a carte menu.
The resorts were designed by Milieu Creative, the same architecture and design studio behind MinRes’ state-of-the-art headquarters in Osborne Park.
MinRes is also building 10 four-bedroom homes in Onslow to attract more families to relocate to the town and become a part of the community.
Onslow Iron will feature a dust-free mine-to-ship transport solution and construction works currently include an airport, storage facilities at the Port of Ashburton and a fleet of transhippers.
The project, which will ship about 35 million tonnes of iron ore per year from mid-2024, is set to create thousands of jobs during the construction phase.
MinRes is currently offering roles for dozer operators, carpenters, electricians, trades assistants, grader operators, mechanical fitters, crane operators, advanced riggers, boilermakers and pipefitters, as well as maintenance, corporate compliance and environmental advisory roles.
Anyone interested in applying for current vacancies or registering their interest for future opportunities can visit the Onslow careers website.
